January 22, 2011 - The National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT) - a lobby group representing Canada’s tobacco companies, convenience stores and customs officers has given the federal government a failing grade for its efforts to crack down on black-market cigarettes.

The NCACT chose National Non-Smoking Week to unveil its latest report card because the group is concerned about the easy access young people have to black-market cigarettes, he said. “Kids who shouldn’t be smoking at all are having no trouble getting their hands on illegal cigarettes,” he said. “We see evidence that more and more youth are accessing cigarettes this way, and the federal government is simply not doing enough to stop it.”

The NCACT downgraded the government from the D it received in May to an F overall for failing to make progress on countering the trade in contraband tobacco.

“The Harper government’s response to this problem amounts to unfulfilled promises or activities that have more public relations value than real impact,” said Gary Grant, a spokesperson for NCACT. “It’s a government that talks tough on crime, but doesn’t follow through, in this area at least.”

The seizure this month of 45,000 cartons containing 14 million contraband cigarettes in Alberta suggested a problem that was previously confined mostly to Ontario and Quebec was spreading across the country, added Grant.

Members of the NCACT include the Canadian Convenience Stores Association, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Customs and Immigration Union, Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council, which is comprised of the country’s three largest tobacco companies — Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans Benson and Hedges Inc., and JTI-Macdonald Corp.Mike Patton, spokesman for the minister of public safety, said the illicit manufacturing and sale of illegal cigarettes has a significant impact on the economy, public safety and health. He said the government has established a contraband task force led by the RCMP; the Canada Border Services Agency will establish a detector dog service in Montreal and Vancouver, where the highest amount of contraband activity takes place; and the Canada Revenue Agency will develop an ad campaign to raise awareness among Canadians about the negative impacts of buying contraband cigarettes. “These initiatives build upon our existing efforts to disrupt and reduce contraband tobacco,” he said.

January 22, 2011 - These are the stark (strong, powerful) findings of a study commissioned by leading NHS (National Health Service) Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) health experts, in collaboration with from the University of Aberdeen.

The study involved a child sized doll child being fitted in a car seat with the very latest smoke monitoring equipment attached at the doll’s mouth so that precise measurements could be taken. The particles of tobacco poison were so high that they compared with the levels you would expect after being exposed to secondhand smoke in a busy smoke filled pub before the smoking ban.

The findings are so stark that NHSGGC has launched a high profile campaign to persuade the thousands of Scots motorists who continue to smoke and endanger non-smoking passengers to make their cars “smoke free”. Brenda Friel, NHSGGC Senior Health Improvement Officer, said: “No one would think twice about the dangers of taking a child into a smoke filled environment yet many drivers don’t realise the harm that can be done. Worryingly 15% of UK smokers smoke in the car with children.”

Dr. James Y Paton, a Reader in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, University of Glasgow, said: “This report about the exposure of children to small particles resulting from smoking in cars makes salutary reading and its message is very clear. Do not smoke in cars when your children are present. Do not allow them to travel in a car with anyone who will smoke in the car. It is potentially damaging to their respiratory health.”

NHSGGC is giving away 15,000 car stickers bearing the slogan “Our car is smokefree” in an attempt to get the message across that smoking in cars is dangerous not only for people who smoke and their adult passengers but most importantly for children who have no choice but to be in these cars.Dr James Cant, Head of the British Lung Foundation, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “This is a powerful piece of research and it’s great to see Greater Glasgow and Clyde leading the way in this vital area of public health. It also ties in closely with the British Lung Foundation’s ongoing “Children’s’ Charter”. Children’s lungs are so easily damaged by exposure to second-hand smoke. For some of them the impact will be seen all too soon and results in emergency admissions to hospital. For others the damage emerges over time with higher levels of adult respiratory diseases. We know that people want to look after their children and give them the best start in life. Studies like this are vital because they provide people with hard evidence of how their behaviour impacts directly on their loved ones.”

The study also proved that the common misconception of opening the window while you smoke in the car doesn’t actually help. Opening the window will only reduce harmful air levels slightly and crucially it still doesn’t bring it down to a safe level.

Brenda Friel added: “We know that secondhand smoke is very harmful but we wanted to understand in more detail the levels of risk attached to secondhand in smoke in cars with particular emphasis on children. The study has revealed some shocking facts. “On the back of our findings we believe it is imperative that we raise awareness of the damaging effects of secondhand smoke, especially on children. We are asking people to consider where they smoke and as far as possible take their smoking outside and of course ideally we would encourage them to seek help to give up completely.

“I am sure that there are many people who smoke in a car in which a child is travelling believe that opening the window is enough to protect them from any harmful effects. Our tests prove that this is not the case. I hope very much that through sharing the findings of our study we will help people understand just how damaging secondhand smoke in cars can be.”

Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects for a number of reasons including the fact that they breathe faster than adults and therefore inhale more toxins, their respiratory organs are still developing, they have immature immune systems and crucially they cannot remove themselves from the source of the exposure.

The study was carried out on behalf of NHSGGC by the Scottish Centre for Indoor Air, a research collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and the Institute of Occupational Medicine. The study was led by Dr Sean Semple.

Dr Semple said: “The air quality during smoking car journeys is much worse than normal outdoor air pollution levels. The concentration of fine particulate that children would breathe in during these journeys sometimes reaches levels that are similar to those measured in smoky bars prior to Scottish smoke-free legislation. Particulate levels inside these smokers’ cars are also comparable to breathing in air in a large industrial city during a major smog event.”

ASH Scotland Chief Executive Sheila Duffy said, “I very much welcome this campaign which will raise awareness of the harmful impact of secondhand smoke which increases the risks of developing a variety of health problems. I am delighted that NHSGGC is highlighting the issue, and carrying out a positive campaign to encourage adults not to smoke when children are present.

Click to enlarge..January 22, 2011 - Back in October 2010 we reported that graphic images warning of the dangers of smoking could be printed on cigarette packets in Jersey. The proposals was due to be debated by the States Assembley in November. Packets already carry written information about the health risks of tobacco. (Jersey and Guernsey - graphic warnings on cigarette packs..)

Jersey politicians have now voted in favour of putting graphic images on cigarette packets in the island. It is hoped the graphic images will help the two thirds of smokers who say they want to quit to do so. Cigarette packets will include images of throat cancer, blackened lungs and ageing skin.

Smoking is thought to be the greatest single cause of preventable illness and early death in Jersey, health officials say it kills about 150 people annually.

Andrew Heaven, head of health improvement, said he also hoped the images will stop young people taking up the habit. "It is just one of a number of measures we are putting in place to try and persuade people not to take up the habit and encourage smokers to quit. These messages and pictures are showing the harm caused by tobacco and encouraging smokers to have a go and quit," he said.

The decision to put graphic warnings on cigarette packets in Jersey has been described as a "welcome step" towards reducing the number of people smoking. Mr Heaven said he was committed to cutting tobacco use. He said: "We have over the past ten years done very well and this is all about momentum and making sure we continue to ensure we give every opportunity for those smokers to quit."

Maine's state cigarette tax -- one of four areas evaluated in the report card -- is the second-lowest in New England. Only New Hampshire has a lower state cigarette excise tax in the region, $1.78. The federal tobacco tax is $1.01. Nationally, only nine states and Washington, D.C., earned higher tax grades than Maine in the American Lung Association report. Twelve states earned the same grade.

"Keeping the price high is the most effective strategy to reduce youth smoking," said Edward Miller, senior vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association of Maine. "We have 25 years of evidence."

Each time state and federal cigarette taxes have increased in the past 25 years, Lung Association data show, the number of cigarette packs sold per capita has fallen. The call for an increased tobacco tax comes as the most recent data tracking youth smoking -- from the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention -- show a jump in Maine's youth smoking rate for 2009.After more than a decade of declines since the 1990s, when Maine's youth smoking rate hovered near 40 percent, the rate crept back up to 18.1 percent in 2009 from 14 percent in 2007.

In calling for a cigarette tax increase, the American Lung Association is likely fighting an uphill battle. Maine lawmakers haven't approved a tobacco tax increase since 2005, when the tax went up by $1. Former Gov. John Baldacci was rebuffed when he tried to push through another $1 increase in 2007, and he resisted calls to propose another increase later in his administration.

Governor Paul LePage said during the gubernatorial campaign that he would oppose an increase in the state's tobacco tax. LePage spokesman Dan Demeritt said in October 2010 that LePage would consider reducing the cigarette tax if the state could absorb the revenue loss.

January 22, 2011 - The combined profit of the Bulgarian state-owned companies increased by BGN 300 M (209 M USD) in 2010 year-on-year, announced Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Traicho Traikov. Traikov spoke in Parliament Thursday, January 20th during the debate for the confidence vote of the Borisov Cabinet.

He pointed out to the MPs that the government has made important modifications in the Investment Encouragement Act to lure foreign investors. "The number of projects for boosting the exports of Bulgarian companies is on the rise," Traikov said.

The minister said he hoped the privatization of the Bulgarian state cigarette giant Bulgartabac should be completed by the middle of 2011.

He said the government will be setting up a unified institution to handle concessions of mineral resources – a structure, which in his words, has been expected by investors under the previous three Cabinets.

"For the first time Bulgaria's commercial offices abroad will become part of a united policy for external economic relations, and not a place for political appointments," Traikov said boasting progress in the tourism sector in 2010 in spite of the economic crisis.

The minister reaffirmed the EU-sponsored gas pipeline project Nabucco as a priority for the Cabinet. He also said the GERB government has set out to rid Bulgaria of its energy dependence on one source (i.e. Russia, and mentioned that the government has started procedures for share gas explorations and drilling in the Black Sea shelf.

Traikov also boasted the government has already reduced the bureaucracy by 15%, and is close to reached the goal of 20% reduction of the "administrative burden" by 2012.

Maharashtra government, government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India, has collected fine of over Rs 13 lakh (Rs 1.3 million; $28,490.03 USD) in the first week of the drive against sale of tobacco products in and around schools and colleges,and smoking in public places.

"The government has collected over Rs 13 lakh by fining those selling gutkha, cigarettes in school-college premises, or those smoking in public places," Minister of State for Home Department Satej Patil today said.

The drive started on January 10.

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtray, yielded the highest amount in fine for smoking in public places (Rs 2,13,000). Nagpur, a city in the state of Maharashtra, division yielded Rs93,750 from fine collected from gutkha sellers in school/college premises. Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, sale and advertisement of tobacco and related products are banned within 100 metres of educational institutes.

The new decree bans smoking in all public buildings, whereas the previous decree allowed smoking in designated rooms.

Habiburokhman, a lawyer for the group, which calls itself the People’s Rights Advocacy Team (TAHR), said on Thursday, January 20th that the decree was “very discriminatory against smokers.” “It treats smokers like criminals, whereas cigarettes are legal products,” he said. Habiburokhman claimed the measure was a violation of human rights and contravened prevailing laws on regional administration and regulations. He said the group last week filed a judicial review with the Supreme Court challenging the latest decree. He also said the group would file for an executive review of the decree with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today.

Daru Supriyono, another lawyer for the team, said a third suit could be brought based on an official notification of protest filed with the city administration this month. “We sent the notification on January 4, and if within 45 days they don’t issue a response, then we’ll file suit with the Central Jakarta District Court,” he said. He added all the suits were being filed on behalf of private parties opposed to the decree.

The group accused the city and nongovernmental organizations that pushed for the decree of doing so in exchange for foreign funding, although it could not elaborate.

Ridwan Panjaitan, head of law enforcement at the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD), said his office had informed the city’s legal office of the pending suits. “We’re prepared to face any lawsuit in the supreme or district court,” he said. He added his office had also been meeting with the TAHR, medical experts and antismoking groups to discuss the issue.

“This is a matter of health, and I’m sure more people back the decree than oppose it because more people want cleaner air in their offices and at restaurants,” Ridwan told the Jakarta Globe. “It’s possible that those objecting to the decree are being backed by cigarette companies.”Suroso, coordinator of the 100 Percent Love Indonesia group, said the decree was discriminatory because it hurt those who worked in the tobacco industry. He also said the regulation threatened the city’s lucrative entertainment businesses by shutting out customers who smoked.

Aside from smokers, Suroso complained that the decree also impacted thousands of tobacco farmers around the country. “The decree will hurt the income of many people,” he said. “Besides, kretek [clove] cigarettes are a uniquely Indonesian product that should be preserved.”

He said the old decree was “fairer” and provided a “win-win solution” for both smokers and nonsmokers alike. "We want to encourage ethical smoking that doesn’t disturb nonsmokers, but we also want our rights to be considered and protected,” he said.

January 21, 2011 - As the Tax and Customs Board has made its battle with the black market for cigarettes this year's priority operation, many otherwise jobless citizens in the border town of Narva have turned smuggling into a life source.

The recession and the fact that cigarettes are three times cheaper in Russia has also invigorated illegal sales to a 10-year high, Marje Josing, director of the Institute of Economic Research, told Estonian Television (ETV).

In 2008, authorities seized 1.5 million illegal cigarettes in Narva, Estonia's busiest border point with Russia. By 2010, confiscated contraband tripled to 5 million in the town, as well as another 5 million in the rest of Estonia.

Smuggling has become a profitable industry and an everyday job for some in one of the hardest hit parts of the country that still has over 15 percent unemployment. Smugglers start their workday at five in the morning and are back in Estonia by 21:00. They can easily earn twice the amount they paid to purchase the goods, and buyers still believe they are getting a good deal. In Ivangorod, Russia, a pack of Bond cigarettes costs 50 cents. A legal pack of the same cigarettes costs 2.20 euros in Tallinn (capital and largest city of Estonia).Authorities believe the smoke trade is now expanding entry from the Latvian border, with Kaliningrad and Belarus being the source regions. (Latvia - are smugglers the leaders in the tobacco market??)

Meanwhile, legal sales of cigarettes have declined from 2.3 billion in 2007 to 1.56 billion in 2010. The state lost a record 51.3 million euros ($69.8 million USD) in tobacco taxes last year.

January 21, 2011 - The Kyoto city government is looking into banning smoking on streets around some of its major tourist attractions, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kiyomizu Dera temple and the Gion entertainment area, municipal officials said Wednesday, January 19th.(Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, and each is further divided into municipalities - click on map upper right - Kyoto - 22)

The administration of the ancient Japanese capital has proposed an advisory panel on the feasibility of expanding its nonsmoking areas from the current restriction on streets around some busy areas since June 2007 to districts around those tourist spots as well as JR Kyoto Station, they said.

After the panel gives a green light to the proposal, the city’s mayor will announce the expansion, they said. Under a Kyoto city ordinance on the street smoking ban, violators are imposed a 1,000 yen ($12.10 USD) fine.Reference: Streets around major tourist spots in Kyoto may go nonsmoking, 2011 Kyodo News, JapanToday.com, 1/20/2011.

Registration and access: The RAI conference call will be available online on a listen-only basis at http://www.reynoldsamerican.com/events.cfm. Registration will be available as of Jan. 20, 2011. All remarks made during the conference call will be current at the time and will not be updated to reflect subsequent material developments. A replay will be available on the website for 30 days. While news media representatives will not be permitted to ask questions during the call, they are welcome to monitor the remarks on a listen-only basis. Following the call, media representatives may direct inquiries to Jane Seccombe at (336) 741-5068.Call-in Numbers: (877) 390-5533 (toll-free) (678) 894-3969 (international)

January 21, 2011 - Does your state make the grade when it comes to protecting citizens from illnesses caused by tobacco? And how about the federal government – is it making passing, or failing, marks in this critical battle?

January 20, 2011 - Central Park in La Palma will be smoke and tobacco-free starting Feb. 1, despite a smoldering debate and close vote at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. Three of the council's five members voted against establishing a small designated smoking area in the park, which would have been between the recreation buildings and the basketball courts. The failed vote allows a full ban to go into effect in two weeks.

Smoking is a health hazard, said Councilman Steve Shanahan, who supported the ban. "The majority of those who use the park are under the age of 18," he added, those who could most be harmed by secondhand smoke.

Last year alone, Customs officers intercepted a staggering 3.4 tonnes of tobacco and 178.3 million cigarettes worth €76.5 million. It is estimated the illegal trade is depriving retailers of more than €500m (673m USD) of income per annum.

Despite the size of the problem only 94 people were prosecuted during 2010 for smuggling and fined a total of €49,630 (66,757.49 USD) with 13 being sent to jail.Customs and Gardaí (police) also managed to prosecute 40 people for selling illegal tobacco with six prison terms handed down along with fines of just €99,250 (133,524.07 USD).

Fine Gael’s ((United Ireland Party) Alan Shatter said the current legislation was inadequate at dealing with the threat. "Criminal gangs know that if they are caught they are facing a slap on the wrist. The DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) should be more directly involved in this matter," he said.Meanwhile, 10 rhino horns were among the contraband items detected at Irish airports and seaports last year. In figures released last night by the Revenue Commissioners, they confirm the horns were seized in three hauls at Shannon in January 2010, under an international convention called CITES.

The Customs figures show, overall at the three state airports, the value of drug seizures was dramatically down last year. Some €1.7m worth of drugs was seized by officials at Dublin airport last year, compared with €4.6m in 2009. The detections included €1.1m worth of cocaine in 22 seizures, along with €436,600 worth of khat in 44 seizures. The report shows an increased value in drug seizures at both Shannon and Cork airports. At Shannon, it was €572,883 compared with €258,704 in 2009 while the increase in value of drugs recovered at Cork airport was €180,134, compared with €72,550 in 2009.

January 20, 2011 - French lawmakers have decided that Jean-Paul Sartre, Coco Chanel, and other long-dead icons can have their cigarettes back. Smoldering cigarettes and pipes had been airbrushed out of old photos and vintage movie posters out of fear of breaking a 1991 law that banned the "direct or indirect" promotion of smoking. Fear of breaking the so-called Evin law, which bans the "direct or indirect" promotion of tobacco products, had led authorities to remove smouldering Gauloises from pictures of a string of famous French figures in recent years.

On Wednesday, January 19th French MPs (Members of Parliament) approved a bill that excludes "cultural heritage" from the antismoking rules. "The falsification of history, the censorship of works of the mind, the denial of reality must remain the heinous marks of totalitarian regimes," said the bill. Didier Malthus, the Socialist MP who drafted the bill, said that those who had interpreted the law in such an "extensive way" had "put cultural works into question". The bill must now go before parliament that would exclude cultural heritage from the anti-smoking law..

The first time the law had sparked outcry was over a 1996 stamp featuring a well-known photo of André Malraux, the award-winning author and culture minister of Charles de Gaulle's cabinet, sans his trademark cigarette. The rule reached new heights of absurdity in 2009 when the trademark pipe of the late Jacques Tati, one of France's most enduring comic characters, was replaced with a yellow windmill in a poster campaign – a move which one cinema expert said would have made him "die laughing".All tobacco advertising and sponsorship on television was banned within the European Union since 1991 under the Television Without Frontiers Directive. It was extended in July 2005 to cover other forms of media such as the internet, print media, radio, and sports event like F1. In 2007, France joined other European countries in banning smoking in public places.

January 20, 2011 - Alberta is among four provinces and two territories that haven't made it illegal for drivers to smoke in vehicles carrying children under the age of 18. All provinces have laws prohibiting smoking in public places. However, only six provinces and the Yukon territory have legislation banning smoking in vehicles with children.

"It's unfortunate to see Alberta falling behind on tobacco when even our neighbours, British Columbia (B.C.) and Saskatchewan, have moved forward with legislation," said Ashley Jensen, the cancer society's regional community engagement co-ordinator. "This is about protecting kids from preventable death, disease and disability." British Columbia (B.C.) brought in regulations in 2009 and Saskatchewan in 2010.

The Canadian Cancer Society says children exposed to tobacco smoke face an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infection, middle ear disease and an increased severity of asthma.

Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky wasn't available for comment Tuesday, January 18th but Howard May, spokesman for Alberta Health and Wellness, said municipalities are free to develop their own bylaws. "We have no plans to bring forward any amendments to the Tobacco Reduction Act at this time," said May.Two Alberta communities have bylaws against smoking in vehicles with kids. Okotoks passed its legislation in 2008, and Leduc's bylaw takes effect in July. Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke said the cancer society sparked the regulation change during a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference last year in Toronto.

January 19, 2011 - Greece said on Tuesday, January 18th it will enforce a largely ignored smoking ban with hundreds more inspectors, the third time in recent years it has tried and failed to stop the EU's heaviest smokers flouting the ban.

"The Greek state cannot continue to be made a laughing stock," Health Minister Andreas Loverdos told reporters. "We are starting tomorrow -- the ban will be fully implemented."

Greeks ‘unhealthy but happy’.. Greeks hold one of the worst records in the European Union for smoking and child obesity but they are also among the most optimistic citizens in the region, according to a joint report by the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The report, whose findings were made public in Brussels yesterday, showed that four in 10 people in Greece (39.2 percent) aged over 15 smoke every day. Greeks have the highest rate for smoking in the 27-member EU, followed by the Bulgarians with 29.1 percent smoking daily and the Irish with 29 percent, just over the EU average of 24.2 percent. The findings came just two weeks after the Greek government heralded the launch of a campaign to discourage children from picking up the habit of smoking by informing them early on about the associated risks. Health Ministry figures show that some 50,000 young Greeks join the ranks of the country’s smokers each year.

Another health risk faced by Greek children, according to the joint report by the EC and OECD, is obesity. Greece has the worst record in the EU for child obesity after Malta, the report showed. A total of 18.9 percent of Greek children aged between 11 and 15 are obese, significantly above the EU average of 13.3 percent but also much lower than the Maltese with 29.5 percent.

However, despite these unhealthy habits, Greeks appear to be among the least depressed citizens in the bloc. The most recent figures available, for 2008, show Greece to have the lowest rate of suicide, with 2.8 suicides per 100,000 residents recorded in that year, compared to an EU average of 12 suicides per 100,00 residents. In Cyprus, the rate in 2008 was 4.3 suicides per 100,000 residents and in Italy 5.2 suicides per 100,000. The highest rates were recorded in Lithuania with 30.7 suicides per 100,000 residents and Hungary with 21.5 suicides per 100,000.

Inspectors can impose up to 10,000 euros ($13,350) in fines on bar and restaurant owners tolerating smoking and up to 500 euros ($672.04) for smokers who break the law. But only a handful of penalties have been imposed despite widespread violations.Most restaurants have kept ash-trays on their tables despite the ban or put them back after losing costumers to more smoker-friendly places. Some organised street protests against the ban, saying applying it would drive customers away at a time when business was already hit by recession. (November 22, 2010 - It had been mentioned that Greece - may lighten smoking ban in bars and cafes..)

"This decision comes at a time when the economy is in deep recession, it will lead to shutting down thousands of businesses and at least 80,000 jobs will be lost," said Yiorgos Kavathas, general secretary of the Greek restaurant owners federation.Smoking-related health costs are two billion euros a year, health ministry data says, about 60 percent of total tobacco tax revenues in 2009. Greece has increased excise tax and VAT on tobacco to 23 from 19 percent as part of EU and IMF (International Monetary Fund) austerity steps.

AbstractIn the debate about laws regulating smoking in restaurants and pubs, there has been some controversy as to whether smoke-free laws would reduce revenues in the hospitality industry. Norway presents an interesting case for three reasons. First, it was among the first countries to implement smoke-free laws, so it is possible to assess the long-term effects. Second, it has a cold climate so if there is a negative effect on revenue one would expect to find it in Norway. Third, the data from Norway are detailed enough to distinguish between revenue from pubs and restaurants. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) intervention analysis of bi-monthly observations of revenues in restaurants and pubs show that the law did not have a statistically significant long-term effect on revenue in restaurants or on restaurant revenue as a share of personal consumption. Similar analysis for pubs shows that there was no significant long-run effect on pub revenue.

ConclusionOur results indicate that smoke-free laws do not affect restaurant revenue directly or as a share of private consumption even in a country known for its harsh climate. There is some evidence for a short-run effect on pub revenue as a share of private consumption, but there is no evidence of a short-run effect on the absolute level of pub revenue and no evidence for a long-run effect using either measure.

January 19, 2011 - The City of Raleigh on Tuesday, January 18th moved a step closer to banning smoking in public parks. The City Council voted 6-2 to develop a no-smoking ordinance, which it will vote on at a later meeting. The ordinance will prohibit smoking in city parks, but not in downtown’s Nash and Moore squares, which are owned by the state and operated by the city.

Mayor Charles Meeker proposed the measure. If approved, it would call for roughly $25,000 worth of no-smoking signs. It would ban smoking products, but not other tobacco. Council members John Odom and Thomas Crowder voted against the proposal. Odom said there are too many unanswered questions, such as the cost of enforcement.

January 19, 2011 - The India Union Health Ministry revealed that it will be introducing a new policy against chewing smokeless tobacco which is being used by more than 25 percent of the population.

Speaking at the inauguration of a block at HSJ Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital of Panjab University, Speaking at the inauguration of a block at HSJ Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital of Panjab University, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that while the focus of the government’s anti-tobacco programmes have been on cigarettes and beedis, the rising number of tobacco chewing population has forced his department to try and come up with a policy specific to chewing tobacco.

Azad said that while recent figures reveal around 35 percent of the population is using tobacco, less than 9 percent use cigarettes or beedis with nearly 26 percent chewing tobacco. According to the health minister, more than 80 percent of oral cancer cases occur due to chewing tobacco.

“With the smokeless tobacco having the potential to create 80 percent of oral cancer, the Health Ministry is formulating a policy which is smokeless tobacco specific”, he added.

India has the highest number of oral cancers in the world after a group of entrepreneurs known locally as “gutka barons” turned a 400-year-old tobacco product hand-rolled in betel leaves into a spicy blend sold for 2 cents on street corners from Bangalore to New Delhi. Sales of chewing tobacco, worth 210.3 billion rupees ($4.6 billion) in 2004, are on track to double by 2014, according to Datamonitor, a branch of the international research firm based in Hyderabad, India. Gutka - chewing tobacco..